Program Seeks to Curb Hate Crimes by Juveniles

Hoping to reduce the number of hate crimes by children and teenagers, the district attorney’s office and the Museum of Tolerance are launching a rehabilitative school this month for minor offenders and their parents.

The 18-month pilot program, called Juvenile Offenders Learning Tolerance, will be limited to the Antelope Valley, which has seen a sharp increase in hate crimes in recent years. The program is being funded by a $450,000 Justice Department grant and is believed to be the first of its kind.

Young people who complete the course are spared suspension or expulsion from school and avoid further punishment from the Juvenile Court system.

Minors who are first offenders and whose hate crimes are considered low-level or involve no injury or major damage will be considered for the seven-class program, officials said.

The classes will teach children and their parents anger management and conflict resolution, among other things, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Linda Baek, the program’s coordinator. Offenders must also write letters of apology or make restitution to victims when appropriate, she said.

Although hate crimes reported in the county in 1998 fell 6% from the year before, to 769, more than half of them were committed by juveniles, according to the county’s Commission on Human Relations.